Bent tube dead-end connector



Ap i953 c. A. BADEAU BENT TUBE DEAD-END CONNECTOR Filed July 20, 1948 vINVENTOR.

CARROLL A. B ADEAU WWQZZW ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1953 BENT TUBEDEAD-END CONNECTOR Carroll A. Badeau, Westfield, N. 3., vmasignor to TheThomas & Betts 00., Elizabeth, N. J a corporation ofNew JerseyApplication July 29, 1948, Serial N 0,39,677

'7 Claims.

The invention relates in general to an electric connector .forsuspending a cable to a support and specifically relates to a connector,sometimes called a dead end connector, for securing the end of a maincable in position anchored to supporting and tensioning members and forconnecting a tap line mechanically and electrically to the connector andthus therethrough to the main cable. This application constitutes acompanion to an application of Martin D. Bergan, Serial No. 39,676,filed July 20, 1948.

The invention also relates to certain improvements in the technique offabricating the dead end connectors herein featured and to the methodsof applying them to their associated cables.

It is usual practice in this art as disclosed in the patents to Varney,1,746,879 and 1,793,293, and in the patent to Carlson, 1,758,218, toprovide a connector of two separate parts, each part including a tube ofconductive metal, one crimped on the main cable and the other crimped ona tap wire. The two partsare then clamped to each other throughflat-faced clamping plates and disposed to locate the tap wire so as todepend from the main cable at an angle thereto as is usual in suchdevices. The use of clamps in such cases means, of course, that there isformed a joint or gap across the electric path provided by the two-partconnectors. Joints, even the best of joints, in such connectorsinterp'ose a resistance to the conductivity of the current in passingfrom the main cable to the tap wire. There is thus interposed in allknown forms of dead end and similar forms of connectors a resistancedifferent with different forms of connectors and differing in thesqueeze pressures across the joint at points where the interposition ofany resistance has been most objectionable.

The primary object of the invention is to avoid the ohmic resistanceheretofore imposed by dead end and similar forms of connectors by reasonof joints therein between the separable parts and, on the contrary, toprovide a curved, continuous and thus uninterrupted electric path ofhigh conductive value through the connector from one to the other cableor conductor.

It is also common practice as disclosed in the above-identified patentsto employ as the main cable a type formed of a plurality of strands ofconductive metal usually of copper or aluminum. The cable is connectedto a tower or other support in such way as to suspend the cable undertension in a catenary form and the connection between the cable and thesupport is usually by means of a fitting provided-with a clevis.

Of course, this clevis-formingand cable-supporting part of the connectormust be strong and rigid to resist deformation when subjected to suchstrains as connector and cable supports .are often subjected,particularly in stormy and .icy weather.

As the known forms of dead end connectors must thus possess structuralstrength capable of resisting any distortion from strains imposedthereon under severe operating conditions, they have been made up of atough metal, usually a copper alloy, capable of maintaining theirinitial rigidity, but such metals do not possess a very high degree ofconductivity. Conductivity, then, heretofore had to be sacrificed in theknown devices in order to obtain the required structural strength.

The present disclosure features the forming of a cable support andspecifically a cable support of the type known as a dead end connectorof two parts made of materials of different tensile strengths and eachselected to meet the requirements of the associated part and connectedto form as an article of manufacture a single complete and mutuallyreinforced unit. One of the parts is a rugged suspensory capable ofanchoring the cable to a suitable support, and the other part is acurrent-carrying tubular splicing sleeve capable of being compressed orcrimped or otherwise distorted on to the cables or Wires to be splicedthereby and, of controlling importance, capable of a high degree ofconductivity.

The invention thus features the use of a highly conductive metal to formthe splicing sleeve for electrically connecting the conductors withoutregard to any factor of strain-resisting capacity in the relativelyfrail sleeve and the use of a strain-resisting material for use as themore rugged suspensory element without regard to any factor of currentconductivity in the suspensory.

Broadly, the objective is obtained by using a splicing tube or sleeve ofa high degree of conductivity, preferably of copper and sufficientlyductile so that it can be bent into an elbow or similar angled shapewithout rupture and with its ends exposed for distortion into a crimpingengagement with a conductor or conductors in its bore and whichconductive tube is reinforced at its bend by a more or less massive andrugged form of suspension which does not even have to possess any degreeof conductivity and might even be made of a non-conductive material,such as a plastic or ceramic.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from a consideration of the method features of the disclosureand from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will bemore fully set forth in the following particular description of onemethod of practicing the invention, and the invention also consists incertain new and novel modifications of the preferred method and otherfeatures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forthand claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken in the longitudinal medial plane of adead end connector of a Greek gamma or pistol-like form in sideelevation constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention with themain cable and tap wire in place but before the connector has beensecured to the conductors and which form of the invention is intended tobe used in those situations where the tap Wire is separate from the maincable; 7

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l with the main cable and tap wire inplace and with the opposite sides of the splicing tube crimped thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking down upon the device shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the showing in Fig. 2; looking at the same fromthe right-hand side.

The dead end connector is intended to connect a longitudinally extendingmain cable or conductor A to a depending tap cable or wire B. Theconnector is formed primarily of two main parts, more or lesspermanently connected. One part is formed of a long, tubular splicingsleeve or tube Iii formed of highly conductive metal such as copper,bent into elbow form, and the other part is formed of two side cheeksbrazed to the sleeve iii and forming a rugged suspensory embracing theelbow sleeve ii] at its bend. The suspension includes a clevis-formingextension and which suspensory, while capable of functioning as such, isnot necessarily made of conductive metal but is made of some strong typeof metal.

The sleeve or tube iii originally a straight length of ductile, drawncommercial tubing bent into the elbow form to provide a crotch I! andtwo substantially straight end portions l2 and is disposed at an obtuseangle to each other. The tube is capable of being distorted byconventional crimping apparatus into a crimping engagement with theconductors A and B in its bore It. In one embodiment of the inventiontube Ii} is formed of a high grade of copper selected for its highconductive value.

The suspensory is formed of a pair of side cheeks l5l 6, each pre-castto shape in the form of flat rugged plates. The cheeks are disposed inupstanding parallel re ..tion on the two opposite uniplanar sides of thetube ill and have their inner faces machined to provide curved, shallow,ooncaved channels 5? to provide seats in which are fitted the oppositesides of the tube in the part thereof at the crotch l as shown in Fig.e. In the illustrated case the side cheeks iii-4 5 are formed of heavybronze plates, onequarter of an inch thiol: and are brazed at thechannel seats I? to the tube it, as indicated by the heavy curved linesat l? in Fig. 4. These cheeks, of course, have materially greaterstrainresisting properties than does the conductive tubular sleeve l8.

The portions of the cheeks which project rearwardly beyond the tube iiicoact to constitute a clevis-forming extension it. Each check isprovided with a bolt-hole 59, one aligned with the other. The cheeksthus form a clevis for suspending the device from a bolt 20 forming partof a suitable support or a part of the usual tensioning means used withsuch devices. In the instant case the end I3, fashioned to receive themain cable A, is in prolongation of the suspensory l8 and is relativelylong compared with the end l2 designed to receive the depending tap wireB,

In mounting the connector in place a free end of the main line or cableA is inserted into the bore of the end i 3 for a distance to extendbeyond the portion which is to be crimped, as shown at the right of Fig.1 or until stopped by the curvature of the crotch l i. The end 13 isthen crimped on to conductor A by any of the usual crimping toolsemployed in this art and in the instant case two long crimps orindentations 2| and 22 are shown in Fig. 2 on opposite sides of the tubeend I3. Similarly, a free end of the tap wire 13 is inserted into thebore of the end 12 until stopped by the curvature of the crotch Ii. Theend I2 is then crimped on to the inserted end of the conductor B and inthe instant case two long crimps or indentations 23 and 2d are shown onopposite sides of this end of the tube it. It is within the scope of thedisclosure to otherwise crimp or distort the tube ends on to theconductors therein as by the more modern practice of distorting the tubefrom its initial cylindrical form into a plurality of closely positionedhexagonal deformations.

The one-piece copper elbow forms an uninterrupted electric path of highconductive value con-: necting the main cable with the depending tapwire and is formed solely with regard to its capacity as an electricconductor. Being of onepiece, ohmic resistance within its outline isthus kept to a minimum. The elbow is directly and permanently connectedto the conductors in such way, as by crimping, to minimize ohmicresistance between the elbow and the conductors and in this way takeadvantage of that form of connecting a highly workable form of connectorto its conduotors;

While there is thus featured a more or less easily distortable electricconnector in the elbow feature, on the other hand the suspensory can bemade of any rugged material with a complete disregard to any electricconductivity capacity, and, as a matter of fact, conductivity in thesuspensory part is objectionable in the art of dead, end con-. nectors.

Iclaim:

1. A dead end fitting comprising a preformed one-piece tubular sleeve ofhighly conductive metal bent into an elbow form and including twosubstantially straight end portions disposed at an obtuse angle to eachother and a curved crotch portion integrally connecting the endportions, a

suspension for supporting the sleeve with both end portions of thesleeve projecting beyond the suspension, said suspension eXtendlng inprolongation of one of the end portions of the sleeve and comprising apair of upstanding rugged, stilt cheek plates disposed in parallel,transverselyspaced apart relation with their inner ends complementarilycontoured and fitted to opposite sides of the sleeve at its crotchportion and secured thereto and with their outer ends provided withaligned bolt holes, a main cable inserted in that end portion which isin prolongation of the sus pension, and a tap wire inserted inthe otherend portion and depending from the suspension, and said end portions ofthe sleeve being each indented in the parts thereof projecting beyondthe suspension to crimp the same permanently on to the main cable andtap wire, respectively.

2. A dead end connector comprising two units formed of materials ofdifferent tensile strength, one unit comprising a one-piece preformedtubular sleeve of highly conductive malleable metal forming anuninterrupted hollow electric path therethrcugh from end to end andfashioned to connect electrically the spaced-apart ends of bareconductors inserted in its ends, said sleeve having an elbow form andincluding substantially straight end portions disposed at an obtuseangle to each other and curved crotch portion integrally connecting theend portions, the end portions having their exteriors of cylindricalform and exposed for machine operation thereon, each end portionproviding a bore with a circularly continuous wall for engaging theentire perimeter of bare conductive cables inserted therein when saidend portions are crimped onto such cables, a. suspension for supportingthe sleeve comprising a pair of upstanding rugged, stiff cheek plates,formed of a material of greater tensile strength and of less conductivecapacity than the highly conductive and malleable material of thesleeve, said cheek: plates disposed in parallel,transversely-Spacecbapart relation with the inner faces at their innerends contoured to provide a two-dimensional area of engagement with theopposite arcuate sides of the sleeve at the crotch portion and securedthereto over a material area thereof to reinforce the crotch portion andwith the other ends of the cheek plates projecting beyond the sleeve andprovided with an element of an attaching means for securing theconnector to a support.

3. A dead end connector including a bent tube of elbow form of highlyconductive malleable metal forming in all cross sections thereof a solidannular ring, each end portion being exposed and deformable into acrimping engagement with the bare end of a conductor therein, and arugged suspension of greater resistance to deformation than the tube,with one end of the suspension snugly engaging the tube adjacent itscrotch portion to reinforce the same and its other end projecting fromthe tube and provided with means for attaching the connector to asupport, the tube and the part of the suspension engaging the samehaving curvilinearly complementary and extensive interengaging areas ofcontact extending for a material degree of arc distance about theexterior of the tube at its crotch.

4. A dead end connector including a ductile, metal tubing having a highdegree of conductivity, of elbow form and whose end portions are eachexposed and fashioned to be deformed into a crimping engagement with aconductor therein, a suspensory having one end thereof engaging amid-portion of the elbow adjacent its crotch to reinforce the same overa material area thereof, said suspensory formed of a material havinggreater resistance to distortion and a less degree of conductivity thanthe ductile metal tubing.

5. A dead end connector comprising a copper tube of elbow shape andforming in all cross sections thereof a solid, annular ring, and abronze casting having a portion thereof secured to the outer side of thetube at a mid-length portion thereof and in spaced relation to the endsof the tube, leaving the end portions of the tube each straight for amaterial portion of one-half of the length of the tube and exposed fordeformation into a crimping engagement with any conductor ierein, andanother portion of the casting spaced from the tube and provided withmeans for attaching the connector to a support.

6. A dead end connector comprising a thinwalled copper tube circular inall cross sections and bent into elbow shape, having relatively highconductive capacity and relatively low structural resistance to becomingdeformed, and a rigid structure having relatively high resistance tobecoming deformed and relatively low conductivity compared to the coppertube, said rigid structure having a part thereof engaging an arcuateportion of the tube at its crotch portion to reinforce the same andanother part thereof spaced from the tube to provide a support for theconnector, both ends of said tube projecting beyond the part soreinforced and exposed for engagement by crimping apparatus to bedeformed into a crimping engagement with conductors in the exposed endsof the tube.

7. The device defined in claim 6 and wherein. the rigid reinforcingstructure is in the form of two upstanding preformed plates spacedapart, each provided with preformed curved inner faces engaging theouter face of the tube on the opposite arcuate sides thereof and eachpermanently secured to the tube over the curved contracting areaprovided by the outer perimeter of the copper tube.

CARROLL A. BADEAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,702,911 McArthur et a1 Feb. 19, 1929 1,706,833 Zagorski Mar.26, 1929 1,355,645 McIntosh Apr. 26, 1932 1,958,747 Fiege May 15, 19342,045,547 Chatfield June 23, 1936 2,106,007 Klein Jan. 18, 19382,295,899 Hoppenstand Sept. 15, 1942 2,358,745 Stieglitz Sept. 19, 1944FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 253,336 England June 17, 1926261,442 England Nov. 19, 1926 330,364 England June 12, 1930 571,657Germany Mar. 3, 1933 657,624 Germany May 19, 1934

